Visitors look around photos displayed at the China Cultural Center in Seoul last week. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

For its own interests, China will likely give up its "THAAD revenge" against Korea soon, Korea Tourism Organization President (KTO) Jung Chang-soo said.

"China must be under great pressure," he said in a recent interview. "The host of the 2022 Winter Olympics knows that it won't be able to succeed without resolving the pending issue with Korea, the host of the 2018 Winter Games."

Korea Tourism Organization President Jung Chang-soo said that China will likely give up its "THAAD revenge" soon. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

First, he said, China needs to do so for practical reasons.

"The Olympics does not stay the same. It continues to evolve with new technologies over time," he said. "China has to learn about new technologies and management knowhow from Korea after the PyeongChang Olympics, just like Korea did from Russia, which held the 2014 Sochi Games."

Moreover, it has to do so to manage its image, especially as peace is a core value of the Olympics. An unresolved diplomatic conflict surrounding the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), a U.S-made missile defense system that was installed here, will negatively affect China's global image ― the last thing it wants before it hosts the international sporting event.

For these reasons, Jung believes China will try to find ways to ease the tension between the two countries.

With the PyeongChang Oympics only three months away, the Chinese government is facing two choices: continue its "THAAD revenge" of banning Chinese tourists from traveling to Korea, or lift the ban to avoid a backlash when it hosts the next Olympics in Beijing.

"Do you think Koreans would go to China for the next Olympics if the Chinese government restricts its people from going to Korea for theirs? That's hard to imagine," Jung said. "Korea is China's No. 1 source of tourism, a critical factor for the success of the Beijing Games."

He reckons that travel agencies in China too must be unhappy with the government, as the ban dampens demand, and consequently, profits.

Thus, time is not on China's side. "Though it is still uncertain when the issue will be resolved, we need to stay calm and do what we need to do for the time being," he said.

Jung also noted that it is important not to whip up anti-China sentiment.

"We need to learn from how Japan dealt with a similar problem when it clashed with China over the Senkaku Islands (known in Chinese as the Diaoyu)," he said. "Leaders should always think about the aftermath for normal people."

Since this March, the Chinese government has tried to ban travel agencies from operating group tours to Korea because of the Korean government's decision to deploy the THAAD battery. Because of the revenge, the KTO estimated, Korea may see 4.69 million fewer tourists by the end of the year, about five times the figure during the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2015, when the number of tourists decreased by 970,000, from the previous year.

PyeongChang Olympics as a game changer for the tourism industry

How to mesmerize the world with the beauty of PyeongChang and its surrounding areas will be the most crucial task for the KTO during the Winter Games, which is scheduled from Feb. 9 to 25.

According to its organizing committee, 300,000 people from around the world are expected to visit the city during the 17-day event.

The host city, located northeast of South Korea in Gangwon Province, is known for its majestic natural beauty.

"There are gorgeous beaches, mountains, rivers and lakes waiting to be discovered by more people," Jung said. "Many will come here for the games but we hope that, when they leave, they know there are far more than just sporting events in Gangwon Province."

In an effort to make the region more tourist-friendly, the KTO has shared its knowhow with the organizing committee and trained the owners of restaurants there for better services.

So far, North Korea, which has come into the global media spotlight for its development of nuclear weapons, has been one of the biggest obstacles to the international sporting event. In recent months, Jung said he has been trying to correct the exaggerated safety risks here.

"There is nothing to worry about. Korea is one of the safest countries in the world and it will remain so during and after the Olympics," he said.